Smash Bros. Not Playable at E3

Nintendo of America said on Monday that its hotly anticipated new Wii fighter, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, will not be playable at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2007. According to representatives for the subsidiary contacted by IGN, Nintendo has chosen not to display the game in playable form because it has a wealth of other products to show, including some surprises. This, however, does not mean that a formally playable Brawl will not be unveiled in the near future - perhaps shortly after E3 - at a separate event.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl was originally set to release at Wii launch, but was delayed to 2007 in order to give the team working on it more development time. The game features a huge cast of mascot fighters, a great many recognizable background stages and more musical compositions from famous videogame composers than any other videogame in existence. In addition, gamers will be able to choose their favorite fighter and battle online against friends.

Although Brawl will not be playable by E3 attendees, that does not mean the game will not be on display, or, for that matter, demoed by Nintendo representatives.

Furthermore, reps for the company said that the decision to hold off on unveiling Smash in playable form at E3 had nothing to do with the progress or quality of the game. "I wouldn't read anything into this as far as release date. It's still 2007," said a spokesperson for Nintendo.